Preserving Balsam

The Balsam Mountain Trust gives residents a front-row seat to the sights, sounds, and enriching experiences that the land and wildlife conservation offers.

Preservation and Stewardship

The heart and soul of the community is the Balsam Mountain Trust, a nonprofit, nationally-recognized leader in education, research, and conservation.

Charged with the preservation and stewardship of the Preserve’s natural and cultural resources, The Trust manages the 3,000 acres of land on the Preserve that have been set aside in a permanent conservation easement. Working with the developer and the Property Owners’ Association, the Trust helps implement sound land management plans to maintain the careful building practices and environmental awareness that are at the core of the Preserve. No other community in the mountains of North Carolina offers its owners and the surrounding community such a life enriching resource.

The Trust’s Nature Center serves as a portal into a world of discovery, housing the Trust’s living collection of animal ambassadors, species inventories, research documents, and museum-quality displays of the artifacts collected and catalogued within the Preserve. Residents can also work with Trust naturalists on a variety of immersive, educational opportunities.

Residents can work with Trust naturalists on a variety of immersive, educational opportunities suitable for groups of all ages. Bring along children or grandchildren to marvel at nature’s many wonders, enjoy hands-on learning alongside our naturalists, and get an up-close glimpse at the unique wildlife at Balsam Mountain Preserve.